09/01/2026
A hilarious read on a serious topic- AKC points and how are they tabulated when you win!!! A little chuckle for the morning, but maybe a little something you didn’t know, thrown in…
Round 4 - 🐾 DOG SHOW TERMINOLOGY — SOUTHERN STYLE 🐾😂
HOW IN THE SAM HILL DOES A JUDGE DECIDE WHO GETS THE POINTS?!
Y’all asked for this one, so don’t blame me when your head starts hurting. 😂 You wanted to know how a judge decides who gets the points, so pull up a chair, grab a calculator, the AKC rulebook, two Tylenol and possibly a strong relationship with Jesus… because we’re fixing to discuss DOG SHOW POINTS. 😂
First things first:
The judge DOES NOT decide how many points are available.
AKC has a point schedule. The number of dogs actually competing determines how many points Winners Dog and Winners Bitch can earn — anywhere from 1 to 5 points.
The judge’s job is simply to decide WHO GETS ’EM.
And theoretically, that’s done by comparing each dog to the breed standard — type, structure, movement, balance, head, coat, temperament and the whole package.
Notice I said THEORETICALLY. 🤣
Because occasionally you’re standing ringside watching a judge and thinking:
“Well bless their heart… they couldn’t find their butt with both hands and a flashlight.”
You’ve already picked Dog A.
Everybody ringside picked Dog A.
Dog A looks fabulous.
The judge points to Dog C.
And suddenly 14 people outside the ring develop the exact same facial expression. 😳
Nobody says a word.
Because we are sportsmanlike professionals.
We wait until we get back to the grooming area. 🤣🤣🤣
But here’s the truth:
You paid for that judge’s opinion THAT DAY.
You did NOT pay for them to agree with yours.
Although occasionally we’d like to locate the customer-service desk and request a refund. 😂
NOW LET’S GET TO THE POINTS.
The class boys compete until we get WINNERS DOG.
The class girls compete until we get WINNERS BITCH.
And YES, they’re called bi***es.
We’ve already covered that lesson. We’ve healed. We’re moving forward. 😂
Then Winners Dog and Winners Bitch come back together for BEST OF WINNERS.
And THIS is where AKC math starts looking like something your child brought home from school that you swear they never taught us in 1987.
ENTER: THE CROSSOVER. 🤯
Let’s say:
Winners Dog = 2 points
Winners Bitch = 4 points
The judge gives the DOG Best of Winners.
That little rascal just crossed over and gets the higher 4-point value.
And before somebody starts doing arithmetic:
NO. HE DOES NOT GET SIX. 😂
You don’t add 2 + 4.
This ain’t Kohl’s.
We ain’t stacking coupons.
There’s no BUY TWO POINTS, GET FOUR FREE promotion happening at AKC. 🤣
He gets the higher point value.
NOW LET’S THROW SOME SPECIALS INTO THIS MESS. 😂
A Special is already a Champion competing in Best of Breed.
Your unfinished little class dog has already won Winners Dog or Winners Bitch and now marches back into that ring with the Champions like:
“Scoot over, fancy pants. I ain’t finished yet.” 😂
And sometimes…
THAT CLASS DOG BEATS THEM.
👀👀👀
Now you’ve got ringside hollering:
“HE BEAT THE SPECIALS!”
Because Champions and move-ups defeated in Best of Breed competition can affect the count used to determine that class dog’s championship points.
So maybe your Winners Dog started the day looking at 2 points.
Then he goes back in, beats enough Specials and takes BEST OF BREED.
Honey, COUNT AGAIN. 😂
That little 2-point win may have just grown legs and turned into a MAJOR.
And THAT is when normally sensible adults completely lose their minds.
Somebody’s screaming.
The breeder is crying.
The owner is crying.
The handler is trying to remain professional while internally doing cartwheels.
Somebody can’t find the armband.
Somebody’s calling Grandma.
The photographer is yelling “GET YOUR DOG!”
And the actual dog is standing there like:
“Ma’am… I was promised chicken.” 🤣🤣🤣
A class dog can also earn additional credit by going BEST OF OPPOSITE S*X and defeating Champions or move-ups of its own s*x.
And THEN…
Because apparently AKC decided this wasn’t confusing enough…
An unfinished dog can win BEST OF BREED, go into the GROUP, place there and potentially have its championship points affected by what it defeated there.
At that point, I’m done.
I have carried the one.
I have borrowed from the tens column.
I have counted dogs.
I’ve counted bi***es.
I’ve counted Specials.
I’ve crossed over.
I’ve uncrossed myself.
Just send me the AKC record and tell me what the dog won. 🤣🤣🤣
SO HOW MANY POINTS DO YOU NEED FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP?
15 POINTS.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Bless your heart. 😂
You need TWO MAJORS.
A major is 3, 4 or 5 points.
Those majors must be awarded under two different judges.
And you need at least some of the remaining points under another judge.
So your championship requires wins under at least THREE different judges.
Which is why someone can have 14 points and one major and be standing ringside looking like they’ve aged 17 years waiting on that last major. 🤣
Because you can have enough POINTS…
and still need the RIGHT points.
Welcome to dog shows.
Where the dogs run in circles…
the handlers run on caffeine…
the exhibitors run their mouths…
and we’re all doing algebra before 8:00 in the morning. 😂
And remember:
AKC decides how many points are available.
The judge decides who gets them.
Best of Winners can cross over to the higher point value.
Class dogs can beat Specials and potentially increase their points.
And ringside decides whether the judge knew what the hell they were looking at. 🤣🤣🤣
Today:
“I LOVE THAT JUDGE! They really know this breed!”
Next weekend, same judge puts your dog last:
“Well… apparently they’ve suffered some sort of recent head injury.” 😂😂😂
That’s dog showing, folks.
We pay good money to ask somebody for their opinion…
and then get mad when they give us the wrong one. 🤣🐾
And if my Southern dog-show mathematics has confused your butt worse than when we started, don’t worry — I may have confused myself somewhere around carrying the one and counting the Specials. 😂
Here are the official AKC links where they explain it without the chicken bait, Tylenol, Jesus, coupons or my Southern interpretation:
https://www.akc.org/sports/conformation/resources/counting-points/
https://www.akc.org/sports/conformation/resources/points-schedule/
If you’re still confused after reading those… welcome to dog showing. You’ll fit right in. 🤣🐾
